Do You Bicycle? Dedicated to the proposition that bike riding is good for you & fun. Commentary, links, news, opinion, reviews, stories, travelogue, & occasional heads up about events. Kiril Kundurazieff spreads the word & the word is BICYCLE!

It is my hope that this update serves as a complimentary piece, one a bit more serious, to the one of naivete, and exuberant sense of accomplishment, that was the original. ;-D

My approach, this year, was not to ride the whole ride, but skip the northbound PCH portion, and take the MTA 534, from Temescal Canyon Rd. to Pepperdine University, because I wanted to include pics for the more dangerous, in many respects, southbound PCH side of the stretch from Pepperdine to Topanga Canyon Rd. ( Which is actulally a bit further north of Temescal. )

Another reason was that I had 10 books in my panier, 7 of which I was going to Release "Into the Wild" as a member of BookCrossing.

Each book is placed in a plastic bag, with a yellow book with arms, and legs, the words "Free Book!", and a brief explanation of BookCrossing. ( If you decide to join me as what I call a Bicycling Bookworm of BookCrossing, use Sneakeasy as your Referrer! )

Up in the mountains, except for some more housing, little has changed.

The route is just as challenging

Since that ride I moved to Orange County, and so how I got to the start was a little different.

Anyone living in the OC, and does not have a car, can connect the westbound OCTA 60, on 17th St./Westminster Blvd., on its way to downtown Long Beach. ( Get a $3 day pass on the 1st bus you take. )

Once there you can take the Metro Blue Line Train ( Get a $5 day pass from a machine before getting on the train. ) downtown to 7th and Grand, and catch the MTA 20 West on Wilshire, at Flower, and get off at Wilshire and Bonsall ( The 1st stop west of Sepulveda. ), then head South on Sepulveda to the park.

People in LA County can use Foothill Transit, Culver City Transit, Torrance Transit, and Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus, to connect with the MTA 20, or even the Rapid 720, along Wilshire. ( Links to all agencies mentioned are here. )

Cycling is NOT just about speed and exercise, but about taking the time to stop and see the deer, if you are lucky! ) and Harleyholics ( There are plenty of those on the weekends! )......

Westwood Park has 2 sections, and this was the smaller side, and after leaving my 1st book behind, and taking a picture of it, I set out at 7am. ;-D

West on Ohio.

Right on Barrington.

Left on San Vicente.

Right on 7th and along Entrada, and the West Channel Rd. to PCH I went.

The good thing about riding in the bike lane along San Vicente is that no cars can park on your right for most of the day.

A few blocks beyond this spot 2 cyclists came up un-announced, from behind me, one on each side, and sped past me, with out a word.

As I approach my turn at 7th i found that I'd caught them at a light.

Me: Hey, aren't you the 2 that sandwiched me, without warning, a couple of miles back? Don't you know it's common courtesy to announce yourself when passing someone?

1 piece of spandexed "White" bread on wheels: Sorry! ( Sounding very annoyed that I should have the nerve to complain. )

Me: Just remember the next time you pull a stunt like that.

They were not the 1st to pass me unnounced that day, and far from the last, even on PCH.

I finally reached Pacific Coast Highway, at West Channel Rd., and headed north.

Notice the lack of room on the right?

You have many opportunities to hug that white line all the way to the turn off to Pepperdine, though there are some places where the space between the line, and the curb, is wider, and there are places where cars are parked on the side of the road.

If you know how to handle your gears, keep your eyes on traffic around you, and try not to treat PCH as a straight-waway on the Tour de France, the ride along here is a breeze.

Along the way you will see several yellow warning signs along the side of the road warning motorists about the presence of cyclists, and to "Share the Road'.

Over the last few years there have been cyclists killed, and injured, all up and down PCH, from Santa Monica to Santa Barbara, and "Careful" is truly the all important watchword for everyone who uses this famous highway.

At PCH, and Temescal Canyon, I caught the MTA 534 ( You can take this bus past Kanan Dume into north Malibu. ).

For the cyclist who continues on up PCH the next change in route comes with a Right on Webb Way, and a Left on Civic Center, and up a hill toward Pepperdine University.

Now, if you need to go potty, you can do so at some place off PCH near Webb, or climb a couple of more short hills onto the Pepperdine Campus to find a restroom because the next potty is at that place in my 1st picture, or another, less crowded, store/restuarant a couple of miles away. ;-D

I got off the bus at Malibu Canyon Rd, and Civic Center, rode up into Pepperdine, to a church, and left another book. ;-D

I returned to where I got off the bus, and prepared to head up into the mountains.

This blog was written from SanTana, Near the Orange Crush!More Stimulating BikeBlogging!

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Do You Bicycle? Dedicated to the proposition that bike riding is good for you and fun. Commentary, links, news, opinion, reviews, stories, travelogue, and occasional heads up about events. An ordinary road cyclist spreads the word and the word is BICYCLE!

Dear Visitor: Most of the Cycling Resource Links that used to be in this sidebar are now on my other Blog, where I will continue writing about my adventures as a Bicyclist:Musings of a Mad Macedonian

AND LAST, BUT NOT LEAST...THE GREATEST HONOR THIS BLOG HAS EVER RECEIVED IN ITS HISTORY:

Nov. 12, 2010:

Thank you for honoring the shop I have grown up in and love. We are still an old time shop but are trying to keep up with the times with the Kopp's Cycle Website -- Charles Kuhn - Owner (Comment left here: Kopp's Selling Bikes since 1891 - A story I posted in March 2005, and he also replied to my Thanks with this: "You seem to be someone who experiences life while the rest of us just live."

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